Aaron VanAlstineWell, I don't know about scarier but Shirley Jackson's book The Haunting of Hill House is pretty creepy and atmospheric. Also, her short story The…moreWell, I don't know about scarier but Shirley Jackson's book The Haunting of Hill House is pretty creepy and atmospheric. Also, her short story The Summer People is probably the scariest short story I ever read.(less)

Community Reviews

I said in another review that I'm near impossible to scare because my parents were relaxed with horror movie censorship when I was a young kid. I was oversaturated with horror from a young age and tend to find it more laughable than spine-tingling.

However, this book may be the only exception I have found so far. In recent years I have flat-out avoided horror stories because they do nothing for me... I can stomach Stephen King but only because his books tend to be about more than the basic horrorI said in another review that I'm near impossible to scare because my parents were relaxed with horror movie censorship when I was a young kid. I was oversaturated with horror from a young age and tend to find it more laughable than spine-tingling.

However, this book may be the only exception I have found so far. In recent years I have flat-out avoided horror stories because they do nothing for me... I can stomach Stephen King but only because his books tend to be about more than the basic horror element. For me to find this book, a book that is entirely a horror story, to be so enjoyable and so frightening is quite incredible.

I don't need to tell you what it's about, you can read that in countless descriptions, but I do need to say just how much this scared me and had me sleeping with the light on all night and jumping up at every single creak and sigh. The image of the woman stood in the marshes with her face wasting away is so vividly described that it was all I could picture for days, I kept looking over my shoulder when I was by myself expecting to see her stood there in her long black cloak. This lady does very little and is still probably the most frightening character I've ever come across in a novel. I would not recommend you read this while alone in the house... especially if it can scare someone so immune to horror like me....more

From what you've written here, it sounds like we have something in common: immunity to horror. I am actually LOOKING for novels that can scHi Emily :)

From what you've written here, it sounds like we have something in common: immunity to horror. I am actually LOOKING for novels that can scare me, and you made me want to check this one out. Can you please recommend any other novels that scared you (if there are any)?

Disappointing and predictable, this Gothic ghost story isn't a patch on the classics of the genre such as Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. The writing is uneven and the author fails to keep the suspense building often interspersing awkward/boring moments between the tense scenes, which unfortunately were all too few. Part of the problem with the tension was that it was all so predictable I didn't even feel the need to check the ending like I usually do. In otheRating Clarification: 2.5 stars.

Disappointing and predictable, this Gothic ghost story isn't a patch on the classics of the genre such as Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. The writing is uneven and the author fails to keep the suspense building often interspersing awkward/boring moments between the tense scenes, which unfortunately were all too few. Part of the problem with the tension was that it was all so predictable I didn't even feel the need to check the ending like I usually do. In other words the suspense wasn't killing me. Not that the actual story was at fault as such, it was more that the author seemed to give away too much too soon and didn't manage to drip feed bits of the story to the reader in such a way to make it a compelling page turner.

I was also left with various questions at the end, some silly some not. For instance, when was it set? The writer appeared to be trying for a classic Victorian tone, but there were mentions of motor cars and electric lights. My guess was Edwardian, but I can't be sure. Also, I was left wondering how on earth there was electricity at all out at the isolated Eel Marsh House. No mention was ever made of a generator, the narrator just flicked switches even though the house was unoccupied when he arrived. While these questions and some others (which involve spoilers so I won't mention them here) may not amount to major plot holes, they did niggle and distract which is never a good thing, especially in this type of book.

Despite my disappointment in the book, I still hold out hope for the movie. From what I've seen in the trailers, it looks like the film embraces the full horror of the classic Victorian ghost story which is something the book failed to do. The potential was there but it was just never realized by the author....more

A disappointment. I kept hearing about how this was a real honest-to-god, old-fashioned ghost story steeped in the tradition of James and James (Henry and Montague Rhodes)that delivered a frisson of genuine terror and some very fine writing as well. Alas! I didn't find any of this to be true.

For starters, I didn't believe the narrator. He is a man in his forties--self-described as "unimaginative"--who years before suffered a scarring supernatural experience, yet he sounds for all the world likeA disappointment. I kept hearing about how this was a real honest-to-god, old-fashioned ghost story steeped in the tradition of James and James (Henry and Montague Rhodes)that delivered a frisson of genuine terror and some very fine writing as well. Alas! I didn't find any of this to be true.

For starters, I didn't believe the narrator. He is a man in his forties--self-described as "unimaginative"--who years before suffered a scarring supernatural experience, yet he sounds for all the world like a timid watered-down version of a young Bronte heroine (or should I just say "du Maurier heroine"?), sensitive to nature and hell-bent on describing everything that comes "his" way, relevant or not.

The book is a pastiche of 19th century stylistic cliches, starting with a half-hearted Pickwickian Christmas, moving quickly to a Bleak House inspired description of fog (dangerously close to plagiarism), and soon settling into page upon page of lengthy sentences resembling those of middle-period Henry James, yet which--unlike those of the master--contain no fine distinctions of intellect or sensibility to justify their continual qualifying clauses.

The story itself, although not remarkable, could have been interesting. The first sight of the spectre in the graveyard is chilling, and the subsequent scenes where the hero wanders alone in the fog, hearing horrors rather than seeing them, are undoubtedly effective. But there is only enough material here for a 4,000-6,000 word short story, and this is a 40,000 word novella. It is short as horror books go, but far too long for what it has to say....more

I make a habit of not watching the based on movie before reading the propagating book, so that fact that I’m reading not one but two of said unfortunate works (A Clockwork Orange sneaking in during my youth due to college fanboys and the like) is not something I plan on ever happening again. However, it happened, and I will not lie that my expectations have been adjusted accordingly.

While the book is horror, the movie is horror horror horror, tragic past combined with morbidly saturated cin3.5/5

I make a habit of not watching the based on movie before reading the propagating book, so that fact that I’m reading not one but two of said unfortunate works (A Clockwork Orange sneaking in during my youth due to college fanboys and the like) is not something I plan on ever happening again. However, it happened, and I will not lie that my expectations have been adjusted accordingly.

While the book is horror, the movie is horror horror horror, tragic past combined with morbidly saturated cinematography sprinkled with heart-stopping pop-outs galore. The facts are there, but the plot is vastly different, one phrase of the book playing a much larger role and, indeed, the setting the mood and thematic content for the entirety. In short, the book is nicer, and while I don't agree with the Jane Austen comparison at all, I did admire the spectrum of emotions and thoughts the main character experienced; an authorial sensitivity to human psychology at both the highs and the lows that you don't often come across in literature as a whole.

The balance between cheerful normality and burgeoning dread was well developed one, but ended up sacrificing the more poignant extremes of the movie horrors for its focus on stability. I wasn't a fan of being scared out of my wits every five minutes, but as it is horror, and there were certain masterfully handled cinematic scenes that I was disappointed to not discover in the book, I could have handled a little more thrills and chills. Other reviews have spoken of Hill's talent at writing mood, and while I do emphatically agree with that, I'm someone who's childhood reading was half Tolkien and half Stephen King. If you want to scare me via paper these days, you need to provide a little more visceral imagery than descriptions of internal panic and full bodied terror. Accurate replication of the feelings of fear are all very well, but real terror will strike only when you give me something physical to envision(view spoiler)[, a movie favorite of mine being the main character stepping up to a window, our view from the opposite side allowing us, and only us, to watch with horror the ghostly visage coming up alongside him. That scene sold me on the trailer, and later on the movie as a whole (hide spoiler)].

However. Neither the book nor the movie end well, but when it comes to the overcast of nervous paranoia chasing the reader or viewer long after the finishing, the book had the movie beat. The movie's extended use of the book's main point of fear (view spoiler)[, children dying in horribly gruesome ways and coming back to haunt forevermore, (hide spoiler)] ended up sucking the life out of the original shock, while the book saved up its cards till the moment was right. This made for a far more full-fledged sense of 'you reap what you sow' that pushed up this reader's evaluation that final half star.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

Every November we used to play and go in someone's houses and go hunting the ghost that lurks. It seems that I read the book earlier than what I have thought. I can feel the tingle of the cold and smell of the estuary. The dead is coming and hunting me again a little earlier than what I thought.

When Arthur Kipps asked to summon and attend a funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow, the inhabitant and owner of Eel Marsh House, secrets and lies behind the four walls of the house went blown through the atmospEvery November we used to play and go in someone's houses and go hunting the ghost that lurks. It seems that I read the book earlier than what I have thought. I can feel the tingle of the cold and smell of the estuary. The dead is coming and hunting me again a little earlier than what I thought.

When Arthur Kipps asked to summon and attend a funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow, the inhabitant and owner of Eel Marsh House, secrets and lies behind the four walls of the house went blown through the atmosphere of the story. Because of Arthur Kipps' curiosity, he manages to dig the stories and the ghost of the mysterious woman in black that hunted the town since 60 years ago.

God, if only I read this book at night I might shrivel to death or shout for help. This is very amazing and this is the only horror book I read that I'm dying to admit that I did like it. The construction of the story is perfect and I keep on asking about the mystery of the story until it came out and revealed. I was so shocked that I want to tear the book and edited it on my own.

The sentences are beautifully written, they rhymed through the story and it keeps my imagination clearer than before. I can hear Susan Hill narrating it for me and my heart is keep on jumping every syllable. It was amazing, yes, and I recommend this to all people who wants to read horror book this coming November. She usually use a lot of adjectives and beware of it guys, and of course a lot of punctuation marks in between but those thing never hurdled me from reading it.

The mystery, it was so good-ie that I'll choose Susan Hill's horror books than the detective one. I am a little bit unfair but seriously I can't keep bugging myself from time to time. Anyway, I suggest everyone have to wear thick jackets or any comforter because you can feel the bitterness of the ghost. For Peter, who suggested this book to Flippers, kudos for you for sharing it and you always had the best gothic novels! I'm off for the book discussion.

A chilling, traditional ghost story, with a strong Victorian feel: a lone lawyer goes to a spooky house on the marshes, plagued by stories of madness and death. No great surprises, but shocking none-the-less. It is skilfully written, so that most of the scary stuff happens in your head, rather than being explicit on the page.

NARRATORArthur Kipps, the main character and the narrator is very pragmatic and always tries to dismiss his fears and find a rational explanation, which serves to make hisA chilling, traditional ghost story, with a strong Victorian feel: a lone lawyer goes to a spooky house on the marshes, plagued by stories of madness and death. No great surprises, but shocking none-the-less. It is skilfully written, so that most of the scary stuff happens in your head, rather than being explicit on the page.

NARRATORArthur Kipps, the main character and the narrator is very pragmatic and always tries to dismiss his fears and find a rational explanation, which serves to make his story more believable – and thus more alarming. All the way through, his greatest need is to uncover the truth, however unpalatable it may be. However, it’s not what he sees or hears that really scares him, but what he FEELS, and the power of the Woman in Black’s emotion. His feelings towards her change from concern through fear to anger.

However, despite his pragmatism, right at the beginning Kipps does have a strong conviction that a particular house is part of his destiny (which implies some openness to the supernatural), and when he first arrives at the town he says he felt like “a spectre at some cheerful feast”.

WEATHER IMAGERYThe weather (mist, rain, wind and sun) is a major character in the book; sometimes it parallels the situation and mood of the characters (mists and disappearances) and sometimes it is in total contrast (sun at a funeral). It could be clichéd, but, perhaps because it doesn't always match the plot, it has more dramatic weight.

BIRDSOne feature I didn’t notice on first reading was the birds. Kipps himself is a bit of a birdwatcher, and different birds make fleeting appearances: a menacing “snake-necked bird”, the woman in black looking like a carrion bird, a nice happy robin later on.

PROBLEMS WITH TIMEThe first chapter jumps around in a confusing way, which doesn’t really matter plot-wise, but is disconcerting.

The bigger mystery is when it is set. Everything about it feels Victorian (foggy London, pony and trap, steam trains), but she mentions telephones, electric lights (even in a remote house on the marshes), cars, cycling as a (not particularly wealthy) boy, a grave stone from “years back” is inscribed “190...”, and Kipps makes reference to Dickens and the treatment of Victorian servants 60 years earlier. Each time I’ve read this book, I’ve been more puzzled and irritated by this, though it's still a very good book.

DianeI haven't read the book either but Arthur Kippswas the hero in H.G. Well's "Kipps" - how couldthe author steal his name!! In "Kipps" hemarries Ann whoI haven't read the book either but Arthur Kippswas the hero in H.G. Well's "Kipps" - how couldthe author steal his name!! In "Kipps" hemarries Ann who goes out to work as a maid andwhen they marry she has plenty to say about thedesign of the house that Kipps wants to buildfor her. That is a very famousbook and Jane Austen wasn't involved....more
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May 08, 2014 01:37PM

CecilyHow strange. I wonder if it's a co-incidence or a deliberate homage?
May 09, 2014 03:26PM

I've always loved a good ghost film, so after seeing 'The Woman in Black' advertised at a bus stop, I decided I absolutely had to go see this film. Imagine my surprise when I found out it had originally been a book! Well, that changes everything, I thought. I have to read the book first! And so I did.

'The Woman in Black' tells the tale of Arthur Kipp, a solicitor acting on behalf of the late Mrs. Drablow, attempting to sort out her affairs. Mrs. Drablow was an old recluse, living in a small housI've always loved a good ghost film, so after seeing 'The Woman in Black' advertised at a bus stop, I decided I absolutely had to go see this film. Imagine my surprise when I found out it had originally been a book! Well, that changes everything, I thought. I have to read the book first! And so I did.

'The Woman in Black' tells the tale of Arthur Kipp, a solicitor acting on behalf of the late Mrs. Drablow, attempting to sort out her affairs. Mrs. Drablow was an old recluse, living in a small house away from the rest of the village, set apart by the Nine Lives Causeway, the tide cutting off the house from the mainland twice a day. But as Arthur comes to find out, the house is shrouded in more than just fog, as it holds the secret to the inexplicable sighting of the woman in black.

When I first began to read this book, a sense of horror washed over me. No, not because it was instantly that scary, but because, at a first glance, I thought I had picked up what some might call 'a classic'. Scary, I know. I've never liked classics for the sheer amount of unnecessary description and inane ramblings from the main character. Fortunately, while 'The Woman in Black' does lean towards an older style of writing, it's still quite light on the descriptions compared to some. I was able to fly through this book without ever feeling bogged down by prose.

The beginning chapter was an incredibly slow start, and felt like a lot of pointless background about the main character as he talks about his past and sets the stage for telling the story of his haunting memories. It felt much more like a prologue – something a reader could choose to skip over – as it added masses of information that added nothing to the plot whatsoever.

Having read some of the reviews for this, I was expecting something vaguely scary. On this point, the book fails to deliver. In fact, it misses the mark by quite some margin and instead hits the bullseye for 'same-old-ghost-story'. A locked door that's found inexplicably open. A rocking chair moving of its own accord. Yawn. Completely predictable, and therefore, lacking in suspense and mystery, and certainly not scary when you can see it coming a mile off. Possibly my biggest gripe about this book though... everyone seems to know the whole story concerning the old house and the ghostly woman, but simply refuse to speak about it with Mr Kipp.

Overall, this was a quick, vaguely entertaining read, if a tad predictable. There were some surprises, but not enough to rescue it from the tired ghost story clichés that littered the book. Not bad for its age, but could have been so much better. Will I still go see the film? Damn right. Hopefully it can capture that essence the book seemed to lack. My only worry is how they'll turn what was essentially a very small book into a full-length film.

I'd recommend it to those who are into classics and are looking for a quick, light read....more

Hmm. A pseudo-Victorian gothic ghost story that has a very un-Victorian length of 140 pages. To be honest, it's not very good. It reminds me of 14 year old me when I started reading things like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and thinking 'there's not much to this writing a classic novel business- I should give it a try'. Cue the dull, rational protagonist (lawyer or doctor obviously) who is thrown into some spooky goings-on and slowly becomes undone in such default settingsHmm. A pseudo-Victorian gothic ghost story that has a very un-Victorian length of 140 pages. To be honest, it's not very good. It reminds me of 14 year old me when I started reading things like Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and thinking 'there's not much to this writing a classic novel business- I should give it a try'. Cue the dull, rational protagonist (lawyer or doctor obviously) who is thrown into some spooky goings-on and slowly becomes undone in such default settings as spooky misty moore or haunted house. What I didn't understand when I was 14, as Susan Hill doesn't seem to understand in the 1980's when this was written, is that imitation is not all that flattering when it comes to novel writing. Those Victorian/pre-Victorian novels, that everyone now knows, are classics, not for their content, but for how revolutionary they were in their own time and how different they were from what came before them. They were then a reaction against Romanticism, a way to make people's skin crawl in a time when the rational began to, unfavourably for some, overtake the irrational and mystical/religious. This story is displaced in time, adding nothing, and doing nothing.

It is a cliche from beginning to end. Seriously. Look up a list of all the features needed to create a Gothic novel and you can tick them off on a checklist whilst reading it. And if you're thinking, like me, that there is going to be a huge, redeeming twist at the end that throws everything that comes before it into a riotous question mark...you would be wrong. It really is trying to be a legitimate Gothic novel. It doesn't even have an interesting, dubious protagonist ala 'The Turn of the Screw'. It is really....nothing.

However, saying all this you are probably wondering why I have even given it two stars. Well. Embarrassingly enough, this silly ghost story gave me the creeps a little bit. So it partly did it's job I guess. Faces at the window, unlocked doors opening themselves, dogs howling, children screaming, rocking chairs inexplicably set a-rocking...these kinds of things never fail to make me uneasy. And the writing's not terrible. But then, nothing much happens for the first 100 pages and, while many people may call this build-up and making the reader feel tense and uneasy in anticipation of the climax, it was done quite poorly and I wasn't as scared as I should've been. It was quite boring really and my eyes glazed quite a bit during that section.

Anyway, disappointment aside, I am glad I read this ahead of the film as now I probably won't bother seeing it. Although as the ending is...upsetting to say the least (it is the ONLY harrowing bit of the book and is well-written enough to make you feel a jolt of...something) it is so obvious and so expected as to be almost a shock when it actually happens! I can already barely remember the name of the main character...I have a feeling I am not gonna remember this short story for very long at all.

’Yes, I had a story, a true story, a story of haunting and evil, fear and confusion, horror and tragedy.

Storyline

Arthur Kipps is a junior solicitor from London who has been asked by his employer to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow in Crythin Gifford. He must also visit her residence in order to collect any important paperwork that she may have been left behind. Arthur sees the woman in black at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral and again at her resideInterested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

’Yes, I had a story, a true story, a story of haunting and evil, fear and confusion, horror and tragedy.

Storyline

Arthur Kipps is a junior solicitor from London who has been asked by his employer to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow in Crythin Gifford. He must also visit her residence in order to collect any important paperwork that she may have been left behind. Arthur sees the woman in black at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral and again at her residence at Eel Marsh House. She doesn’t appear to be a malevolent spirit so Arthur doesn’t worry too much and decides to spend the night at the house so that he can quickly finish his work and return to London. But that night, Arthur begins to hear unexplainable sounds and worries that he may have underestimated the woman in black.

'...piercing through the surface of my dreams, came the terrified whinnying of the pony and the crying and calling of that child over and over, while I stood, helpless in the mist, my feet held fast, my body pulled back, and while behind me, though I could not see, only sense her dark presence, hovered the woman.'

ThoughtsI quite enjoyed this quick little read and am glad I finally got around to reading it. I love ghost stories even though I tend to scare quite easily… and this book was no exception. The writing was beautiful and vividly creepy and definitely manages to get under your skin even though the real scary parts don’t even start till the latter half of the book. The descriptions were spot on and the whole book is simply eerie even though, in thinking back to it, nothing real huge actually happens. The ghost doesn’t come alive and smother him in his sleep or glue the windows shut or anything absurd like that. Nevertheless I was frightened enough to have to ask my boyfriend to walk upstairs with me to our darkened bedroom after I was finished. He still makes fun of me for that. Lol

Enjoying it as much as I did, I still didn’t give it 5 stars and the only reason for that was because of the ending. It left a bit to be desired for me and was a bit too abrupt for my liking. ...more

I read this book mainly because I went to see the play at the Fortune Theatre in London a few weeks ago. The play was really good. It wasn't the scariest thing I have ever experienced, as some reviews claim, but it did make me jump and it was a fantastic performance carried entirely by two actors, with most of the fear factor delivered through good old fashioned darkness, sudden noises, closeness of the atmosphere (it was the smallest theatre I have ever been in) and the audience interaction (thI read this book mainly because I went to see the play at the Fortune Theatre in London a few weeks ago. The play was really good. It wasn't the scariest thing I have ever experienced, as some reviews claim, but it did make me jump and it was a fantastic performance carried entirely by two actors, with most of the fear factor delivered through good old fashioned darkness, sudden noises, closeness of the atmosphere (it was the smallest theatre I have ever been in) and the audience interaction (there were very frequent shrieks), rather than any advanced technology or complicated props. The play has been performed in London for the last 23 years and remains hugely popular, so I would thouroughly recommended it if you are ever in London and are theatrically inclined.

The Woman in Black is a short novella written by Susan Hill in the 1980s which tells the story of a young solicitor Arthur Kipps and his terrifying encounter with a ghost in a small market town on the East coast of England where he is sent to settle the affairs of Alice Drablow, an old lady recently deceased. The novella is a pastiche on the Victorian gothic literature and it certainly read very authentic with its languorous pace, isolated gloomy manorhouse setting and extensive descriptions of fog and other kinds of dreary weather. But therein also lies the main problem I had with this book. I can well understand the need to set the mood and the scene with some description of nature and the surroundings, but when I am faced with paragraph after paragraph describing the colour of mud and the dripping sky, my eyes soon start to glaze over. The intro and the build-up to the actual story were also far too long, given the overall length of the book (it is 30-odd pages before the hero even gets to the place in a book that's only 138 pages long) and the ending was too rushed and abrupt in comparison. Also, the comic relief, which was very well done in the play, was sadly missing from the book.

Overall, however, this was an interesting story and a quick read and I look forward to seeing what they have done with it in the film....more

Ann WrightGreat review. I saw the play way back in 1991 when it was still fresh and was startled at all the intended places. The playwright did the whole thingGreat review. I saw the play way back in 1991 when it was still fresh and was startled at all the intended places. The playwright did the whole thing better than the author. Mainly I remember the play because, the night I saw it, I learned how to pre-order a gin & tonic for the interval!...more
Mar 12, 2013 04:15PM

I first read 'The Woman in Black' back in 1990 - I loved it then and I still love it now. I re-read it especially for my 'All Hallows Eve' event and I'm so pleased I revisited this amazing book.

The eeriness of the story is combined with delicious descriptive prose. This is what I love about Hills' writing. She's able to describe the world surrounding her characters with such detail I could actually be there, smelling the morning dew, feeling the biting wind on my skin, sensing the fear that gripI first read 'The Woman in Black' back in 1990 - I loved it then and I still love it now. I re-read it especially for my 'All Hallows Eve' event and I'm so pleased I revisited this amazing book.

The eeriness of the story is combined with delicious descriptive prose. This is what I love about Hills' writing. She's able to describe the world surrounding her characters with such detail I could actually be there, smelling the morning dew, feeling the biting wind on my skin, sensing the fear that grips Arthur Kipps that fateful day...

Her writing mesmerises me and I cannot bare to put her books down, and I've read many, all with their own uniqueness, but none, for me, come close to the darkly atmospheric 'The Woman in Black'.

The reader is pulled into the story with teasing snippets as we learn about Kipps' ghostly past. We first meet him in old age as he sits around a roaring fire on Christmas Eve with his beloved family. But the experiences of his past still haunt him so he decides to exorcise them by writing about them in detail and this is where we, the reader, learn what those experiences were which have caused him so much anxiety and many sleepless nights.

Kipps takes us back to when he was a young junior solicitor working his way up the ladder, when one day his boss gives him the responsibility of attending the funeral of a client. Little did Kipps know that this assignment would change his life forever. He takes the trip to Crythin Gifford, a small place in the country, sparten and desolate surrounded by marches and cold November fog.

The village folk greet him well until they hear he has arrived for Mrs Drablow's funeral and tend to her estate and he's baffled by their reaction. But after one night in Eel Marsh House, Kipps begins to understand as he's scared beyond all imagination. Although I knew how it ended, as this is my second reading, it's still shocking and sad.

VERDICT:

This is one of my favourite books - it's a brilliant old-fashioned ghost story packed with bone-chilling suspense. Everything is written in wonderful detail and you're pulled into the story from the very first page. A fabulous read - I can't recommend it enough!...more

A very good ghost story with creepy sounds, a marsh with lots of fog and danger, and a haunting revengeful spirit. I was all set to give this book a strong 3 stars until the last chapter's chilling, horrid surprise ending. Now I can't wait to see the movie with Daniel Radcliffe. This is a GREAT October read!

Over the four-day Halloween/All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day long weekend, I took a respite from reading the classic novel, Gone With The Wind, to get spooked read something that's thematically apt for the holiday. I had been provided with a PDF copy of this book for a couple of months now (thanks to Kwesi), and I was particularly saving reading it for Halloween.

The Woman In Black: A Ghost Story is about a young Brit lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who was tasked to tie up the loose ends in the estate oOver the four-day Halloween/All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day long weekend, I took a respite from reading the classic novel, Gone With The Wind, to get spooked read something that's thematically apt for the holiday. I had been provided with a PDF copy of this book for a couple of months now (thanks to Kwesi), and I was particularly saving reading it for Halloween.

The Woman In Black: A Ghost Story is about a young Brit lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who was tasked to tie up the loose ends in the estate of the deceased Mrs. Alice Drablow. In order to manage her affairs, Arthur had to travel a long way away to a remote part of England, far from London, where their law office is based. Eel Marsh House, the mansion of the late Mrs. Drablow, stands on an isolated patch of land surrounded by marshes, which practically becomes an island come high tide. Ingress and egress are possible only during low tide, and if the fog doesn't cover the surrounding areas, which included an old burial ground.

When I commenced reading the book, I was prepared to be scared, but nothing could have prepared me for the intensity with which I got the creeps. I mean, I was scared sh*tless. Seriously. It could have been just the graphic, accurate writing, or it could be that I have such a vivid imagination that I could picture clearly in my head the scene as it was described, or I'm really just a scaredy-cat that I was shivering with goosebumps reading every other chapter.

The thing with ghost stories, though, is that you've heard a lot of them, with variations each time they're told, that they tend to get predictable after each retelling. Almost always, there's a reason for this apparition or that, there's a restless soul that needed closure, or there's something that needed to be done in order for the recently departed to "cross over".

It is no different with The Woman In Black. Before I read the last chapters of the book, I pretty much had a good idea of who the actual woman in black is, why she was doing what she was doing, and what will become of our protagonist, Arthur. It was that predictable that my guesses were accurate, and, somehow, that fact diminished the scare factor that the novel held for me in the first few chapters.

Nonetheless, The Woman In Black succeeded in what it was supposed - and what I expected it - to do: scare me witless, at least for the most part. There were parts when I literally got exhausted from reading - I didn't appreciate the compound, too-long sentences which were difficult to follow. But, all in all, it was the perfect Halloween read, and I liked it very much, for what it was worth. I can still imagine how the "wasted" and "sunken" face of the woman in black looks like.... and I have to shake the image off my head. I value my precious, dreamless sleep, thank you very much.

You know those books, where you look at the book, then look at reviews, then back at the book and think, “Am I reading the right book?” The Woman in Black was one of those books for me. It seems like everyone loves it, my edition is even part of the Vintage Classics* range, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was a chore to get through. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it… or maybe it’s just not the right book for me.

The premise is enticing: a young solicitor goes to stay in an old mansionYou know those books, where you look at the book, then look at reviews, then back at the book and think, “Am I reading the right book?” The Woman in Black was one of those books for me. It seems like everyone loves it, my edition is even part of the Vintage Classics* range, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was a chore to get through. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it… or maybe it’s just not the right book for me.

The premise is enticing: a young solicitor goes to stay in an old mansion to sort out the paperwork of the recently deceased owner, only to discover it’s haunted by a mysterious woman in black. Doesn’t that sound thrilling? Alas, it is not. Not one bit. Of the 160 pages (yes, this book is tiny), it felt like only about five of them contained something actually interesting. The rest was filled with Arthur walking, Arthur eating, Arthur thinking about walking and eating, Arthur talking about walking and eating, Arthur looking around, Arthur riding a bike, Arthur talking about looking around and riding a bike and Arthur thinking and talking and walking a little bit more. The actual scares were few and far between, and when they came I was so close to falling asleep from the long, descriptive passages that I barely mustered a goosebump.

I like descriptive writing when the thing that is being described is interesting or beautiful, or the writing itself is interesting or beautiful. But Arthur describes everything and everyone he comes across, even if he only spends five minutes in a room or never meets that person again. It was all just so tedious. The writing itself was dull, and although it's in the style of a Victorian novel, it felt rather forced in several places, and jarred with the un-Victorian setting.

That’s right, don’t let the movie posters fool you – this book is not set in Victorian times. It’s actually never exactly clear what time period it’s set in. I’m guessing the early 1900s. Arthur refers to the Victorian period as though it was a fair while in the past, and speaks of a “pony and trap” as though it’s a novelty over a car. There’s electricity everywhere and apparently a battery-operated torch. But there’s no mention of World War I, something which would have shaped Arthur’s life and personality had the book taken place during or after that period.

There’s not much of a secondary cast to speak of – in fact, my favourite character was the dog. She was adorable, and the scariest scene for me actually involved her. There were a few other parts which were mildly creepy, but my butt remained firmly far back from the edge of my seat. The central mystery around the woman in black was so predictable, and even though I was waiting for it, the climax felt rushed and ultimately unsatisfying.

I’m trying to find something positive about my reading experience but to be honest I can’t think of anything. I’m hoping the movie is better. It won't take much.

*Random note: How old does a book have to be to be dubbed “vintage”? This one was first published in 1983. Not what I’d call a “vintage classic”, even if it is written in ye olde language.

This is perhaps my favorite ghost story of all time. I recently finished reading her story, “The Man In The Picture: A Ghost Story,” when I was directed to Ms. Hill once again by a friend helping me research the best constructed ghost stories. As a writer, this exactly what I desire to achieve. She is a master at building tension. The atmosphere she creates is not only something you observe, but you also feel it. This story in particular entails a tangible sense of isolation. The main characterThis is perhaps my favorite ghost story of all time. I recently finished reading her story, “The Man In The Picture: A Ghost Story,” when I was directed to Ms. Hill once again by a friend helping me research the best constructed ghost stories. As a writer, this exactly what I desire to achieve. She is a master at building tension. The atmosphere she creates is not only something you observe, but you also feel it. This story in particular entails a tangible sense of isolation. The main character is far removed from his home as he travels to a rural area outside of London at his employer’s request. He is a young lawyer that must take care of the affairs of a widow’s estate.

The weather is as much a character in the book as the setting of the house. Both are described to perfection. Even the setup of how the tale is being told adds to the reader’s experience. For some, the only drawback has been that the ending seems a bit predictable. Honestly for me, that wasn’t my opinion. When the story was over, I felt empty. I wasn’t done with it. I wanted more. The haunting sensation lingered long after I closed the cover. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a chilling, slow speed, highly intense scare. I can’t wait to read more of her work. ...more

MarkExcellent review thanks. Though you may have already done so have you ever read 'The Turn of the screw' by henry James. It gives Susan Hill's Women inExcellent review thanks. Though you may have already done so have you ever read 'The Turn of the screw' by henry James. It gives Susan Hill's Women in Black a run for her money in the terrifying stakes, Both of these stories i have read a number of times and they never fail to chill...more
Mar 23, 2011 09:41AM

MGIt was one of my first ghost story reading experiences as a child. I love that story. Thanks for your comment. What current ghost stories have you enjIt was one of my first ghost story reading experiences as a child. I love that story. Thanks for your comment. What current ghost stories have you enjoyed? I am reading Haunted Legends right now....more
Mar 23, 2011 10:47AM

Marki read a collection of short stories by Hugh Walpole called Tarnhelm and MR James' short stories. All of which are scary though written a long time agi read a collection of short stories by Hugh Walpole called Tarnhelm and MR James' short stories. All of which are scary though written a long time ago. I read earlier inthe year Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book' which though reputedly for children was quite eerie and someone has just given me a copy of Sarah Waters' 'The little Stranger'. Haven't read it yet but my friend who gave it to me said its chilling...more
Mar 23, 2011 11:12AM

I was perusing the Amazon bestseller list when I first stumbled on Susan Hill’s mystery The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story. Why the book, originally published in 1983, was on the list at all is likely the greatest mystery of all.

Lawyer Arthur Kipps is sorting through a deceased client’s paperwork at Eel House when he first encounters the titular woman in black. The house and the woman are shrouded in mystery, and the local villagers refuse to reveal their history to Kipps. Instead, to his detrimeI was perusing the Amazon bestseller list when I first stumbled on Susan Hill’s mystery The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story. Why the book, originally published in 1983, was on the list at all is likely the greatest mystery of all.

Lawyer Arthur Kipps is sorting through a deceased client’s paperwork at Eel House when he first encounters the titular woman in black. The house and the woman are shrouded in mystery, and the local villagers refuse to reveal their history to Kipps. Instead, to his detriment, Kipps is left to muddle through the mystery on his own.

The story is predictable but altogether inoffensive. According to its blurb, the book is meant to be a throwback to the Victorian novel. The idea is intriguing, but I found it rather disturbing to read a contemporary (okay, it is now over 20 years old) novel written in the Victorian style. Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Wilkie Collin’s The Woman in White clearly inspired Hill. The anachronistic writing style, though, is a distraction more than anything else.

Another interesting addition to the book is John Lawrence’s illustrations. The black-and-white sketches are again an unnecessary distraction and inconsistent with a mystery novel. In one case, an illustration reveals a “shocking surprise” found on a subsequent page.

I might recommend the book to lovers of the Victorian mystery—if there weren’t already so many authentic novels available to read instead....more

I have known of this story for some time and I will admit I have wanted to read it even before the film (and now its sequel) but it wasnt until recently that I found the book (dont ask books seem to disappear in to the void that is my collection).

The book itself is incredibly atmospheric - which I think makes up a huge part of the appeal to me. The story itself is excellently told as you would expect from Susan Hill, the plot however if you have read much of gothic horror and ghost stories is pI have known of this story for some time and I will admit I have wanted to read it even before the film (and now its sequel) but it wasnt until recently that I found the book (dont ask books seem to disappear in to the void that is my collection).

The book itself is incredibly atmospheric - which I think makes up a huge part of the appeal to me. The story itself is excellently told as you would expect from Susan Hill, the plot however if you have read much of gothic horror and ghost stories is pretty standard fair - however when the two combine I personally feel that this is a story worthy of any late night fireside ghost story.

The book is considerably shorter than I was expecting although I may have been suffering from being over loaded with so many drawn out and over sized books recently. I guess this book proves that a good story can be delivered in fewer pages than you think (or publishers want).

So this was a very enjoyable read and one that was a surprise even though I thought I knew what I was letting myself in for....more

(shudders) Well, that gave me the chills, big time. A couple of really good skin-crawling, hair standing up on the back of my neck, heart-pounding moments. And the ending! Yowza. Damn, maybe I've ruined the movie for myself. Then again, maybe not.

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Look at that fog. And this:

Ok -- I really liked this book, although the first chapter was bit confusing in all the back and forths setting up the narrator's history. I thought the writing was good, the mood was set very well, and it was ju(shudders) Well, that gave me the chills, big time. A couple of really good skin-crawling, hair standing up on the back of my neck, heart-pounding moments. And the ending! Yowza. Damn, maybe I've ruined the movie for myself. Then again, maybe not.

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Look at that fog. And this:

Ok -- I really liked this book, although the first chapter was bit confusing in all the back and forths setting up the narrator's history. I thought the writing was good, the mood was set very well, and it was just the kind of classic ghost story I love. It kept me glued to it until the very end with, as I said at the beginning, my heart beginning to pound and the back of my neck getting the crawlies. The ending was shocking (and although you can tell it's coming it shocks you nonetheless) and I was greatly entertained throughout.

Maybe I will see the movie anyway. The setting looks wonderfully British: damp and foggy, bleak and creepy, with an undertone of unease and malevolence. Just like the book.

I am honestly concerned that some are going to be misled by the descriptions floating around about this book and possibly miss out on enjoying a great, true to the classic style, ghost story.

I almost didn't pick this book up because I kept hearing that it is "The scariest ghost story of our time" and "Beware, it will keep you awake at night". It wasn't until I heard it was written in the style of the classic ghost story that I thought I would give it a shot.

Maybe, for some, it is truly a blood-cI am honestly concerned that some are going to be misled by the descriptions floating around about this book and possibly miss out on enjoying a great, true to the classic style, ghost story.

I almost didn't pick this book up because I kept hearing that it is "The scariest ghost story of our time" and "Beware, it will keep you awake at night". It wasn't until I heard it was written in the style of the classic ghost story that I thought I would give it a shot.

Maybe, for some, it is truly a blood-chilling horror but I didn't get that feeling from this book at all. The only description that rings true for me is "...a ghost story by Jane Austen. Austen we cannot, alas, give you, but Susan Hill's remarkable Woman In Black comes as close as the late twentieth century is likely to provide."

For those of you wanting to scare yourself senseless, this isn't likely to do much for you.

For those who enjoy the classic authors and are looking for a ghost story you haven't read, this might be just the thing....more

The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story is a classic Gothic horror story set in the early 1900s. As a young solicitor, Arthur Kipps was sent to Crythin Gifford, a small fictional town on England's marshy, northeast coast. He has to settle the estate of a woman who lived in the isolated Eel Marsh House. The secluded old home is accessible only during low tide, and visible only when the fog breaks. The story builds psychologically into terror using atmospheric descriptions, isolation, a bog with areas oThe Woman in Black: A Ghost Story is a classic Gothic horror story set in the early 1900s. As a young solicitor, Arthur Kipps was sent to Crythin Gifford, a small fictional town on England's marshy, northeast coast. He has to settle the estate of a woman who lived in the isolated Eel Marsh House. The secluded old home is accessible only during low tide, and visible only when the fog breaks. The story builds psychologically into terror using atmospheric descriptions, isolation, a bog with areas of quicksand, and an angry paranormal presence set on revenge.

A few words of advice: Don't read this book right before you're planning to sleep, or the Woman in Black might haunt your dreams....more

Susan Hill's The Woman in Black is a homage to the traditional English ghost story - the stylish and atmospheric works of M.R. James, who delighted in telling them to his students and friends at Christmastime, and pretty much began the tradition of doing so. This is not a bad thing by any means, but has one significant drawback - a work must be original enough to stand on its own, and not merely be a case of careful but uninventive inspiration.

Sadly, The Woman in Black is a clearly the latter.Susan Hill's The Woman in Black is a homage to the traditional English ghost story - the stylish and atmospheric works of M.R. James, who delighted in telling them to his students and friends at Christmastime, and pretty much began the tradition of doing so. This is not a bad thing by any means, but has one significant drawback - a work must be original enough to stand on its own, and not merely be a case of careful but uninventive inspiration.

Sadly, The Woman in Black is a clearly the latter. Susan Hill writes well and clearly sets out to write a chilling and atmospheric tale, but her novella never becomes more than a homage to the old greats. It opens with Arthur Kipps, our narrator, being invited to a funeral of one of his clients, which takes him from bustling London to a small town far away in the English countryside, where he encounters a lot of fog and a mysterious, decaying mansion (Interestingly enough there is no mention of the period when the novella is set - although certain inventions such as modern cars are mentioned, these details are so scarce that the story could easily take place anywhere from the late 19th to the late 20th century). The rest of the novella features the narrator systematically uncovering the history of the mansion and its inhabitants, while encountering the ghastly apparition of the titular woman in black. This is not a new story, or a remarkable one, and its shortness doesn't work in its favor. I couldn't become invested in the trials and tribulations of the narrator, as I found them to be largely predictable and unsurprising, and quite frankly couldn't care less what happened to him.

That being said, the story proved to be quite popular and has been adapted several times for the radio, and for both the big and small screen. The latest adaptation features Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps and looks like a solidly made Victorian flick which might be worth a look, and in this case the information that its storyline is quite different from the source material can serve only as an encouragement. ...more

A family gathers around a Christmas fire to share ghost stories in the British tradition, only to drive their eldest, Arthur Kipps, staggering out into the winter snow in a paroxysm of remembered terror. Hours later he returns to the house determined to finally exorcise, by writing out his tale, the thing that's haunted him all these years - the memory of the Woman in Black. So begins the tale of a young solicitor sent to sort out the papers of the deceased Alice Drablow and the mystery of Eel MA family gathers around a Christmas fire to share ghost stories in the British tradition, only to drive their eldest, Arthur Kipps, staggering out into the winter snow in a paroxysm of remembered terror. Hours later he returns to the house determined to finally exorcise, by writing out his tale, the thing that's haunted him all these years - the memory of the Woman in Black. So begins the tale of a young solicitor sent to sort out the papers of the deceased Alice Drablow and the mystery of Eel Marsh House.

My family has always been relaxed about me watching horror movies since a very young age, so I am one of those people that don't get scared easily. However, the experience of reading this book was so captivating, creepy and downright gripping, that the book got me more scared than the movie (maybe a contributing factor on this is that I also read it alone, during the night). Hill manages to evoke a legend within the character that is The Woman in Black, while at the same time describing two main themes.

First of all, the author exploits the landscapes and scenarios to build atmospheres of terror. She uses the landscape and scenarios as an independent character itself, so they become part of the narration: -Behind me, out on the marshes, all was still and silent; save for that movement of the water, the pony and trap might never have existed. You will easily notice that the sky gets darker, the rooms get colder, the fog sets in whenever something creepy is about to happen. Such practice sets your brain to automatically expect the worst to come at the merest mention of a change in the weather. As a result, I would find myself constantly tense way before anything would actually happen, what, in my opinion, was a lot more interesting than more sparse depictions of horror.

Secondly, there are detailed descriptions of almost everything about the main character. In both cases, Hill uses their positive features to provide a foil for those times when the situation would get out of control or really dark, which provided some balance to the story. However, I do have to admit that despite the quality of Hill’s prose, I wasn't completely satisfied with the way the story unfolded itself on the end of the book. I enjoyed the way that the final twist hung on until the last page of the book, but, in my opinion, a little bit more could have been developed; there was unfinished business in Eel Marsh House.

Overall, this edition of the book is lovely. It was a very atmospheric, and fun read. I enjoyed the combination of the frightening mansion with the inaccessibility of the road at high tide; it reminded me a bit of the idea behind The Hound of the Baskervilles. It is a traditional British ghost story, in the best sense. The book is considerably shorter than I was expecting, although it might be just a feeling, since I had been reading a bunch of drawn out and over sized books at the time I read this one. I guess this book proves that a good story can be delivered in fewer pages than you think (or publishers want). I'm not giving this book five stars because, even though I've read very few horror books, I figure it isn't very original in its plot points and execution. I did, however, very much enjoy that it's a short book that tosses away everything that is not strictly relevant. I'm automatically inclined to like any author who knows how to do that....more

I keep hearing that this novella by Susan Hill is written like an homage to classic writers such as James, Bronte, and Dickens. Having said that I greatly enjoyed this one; however, many people who made that comparison did not really like this read, which makes me really want to read some of these classic writers now, and I will very soon, purchases have been made =)

=Mini Summary (spoilers)=Arthur Kipps has a loving wife, a large family and a secret that's haunted him for years. He'd planned toI keep hearing that this novella by Susan Hill is written like an homage to classic writers such as James, Bronte, and Dickens. Having said that I greatly enjoyed this one; however, many people who made that comparison did not really like this read, which makes me really want to read some of these classic writers now, and I will very soon, purchases have been made =)

=Mini Summary (spoilers)=Arthur Kipps has a loving wife, a large family and a secret that's haunted him for years. He'd planned to keep the painful past buried, but, as per a Christmas Eve tradition, an innocent exchange of ghost stories among his children brought old skeletons to the surface. Now Arthur plans to put it out of his mind by putting pen to paper once and for all. The terror began at the start of his career as a solicitor/realtor. His boss, Mr. Bentley, sent him from the London office to settle an estate off the beaten path of a tiny town of Crythin Gifford. Situated near salt marshes, Crythin Gifford was simultaneously a desolate and beautiful place, a world of gray and silver and silence broken only by the lonely cries of sea birds. As he went about his business in town it became evident to Arthur that the client, whose affairs must wrap up, a widow Alice Drablow, wasn't much loved by the town's inhabitants. Her dilapidated manor house out on the marshes, cut off from the mainland daily by the rising tides, abandoned and unvisited. As Arthur sorted through her hoarded mass of paperwork, he began to sense a brooding evil hovering about the place, fixing itself upon anyone who dares breach the estate's perimeter.=End Mini Summary (spoilers)=

It's a classic ghost story, I haven't read too many of them but this one I loved. The Woman in Black not only involves a ghost with a sinister purpose and elements of the supernatural, but also a curse as well. If Hill's mission was to create a 19th century Gothic feel to her book, I believe she was successful. The setting is perfect for this tale, and the descriptions of Crythin Gifford and Eel Marsh House were great: a remote marshland and rural area far away from city life. When Kipps gets there, he realizes that, due to the marshland, there are times when the mist rolls in and encompasses the small community. This fits in perfectly with the events that transpire, and go right in line with Kipps' fragile state of mind. This paired with the hushed mouthed townsfolk create the eerie and creepy setting.

Overall a solid little light weight read I would recommend any mystery/horror fan. The setting and descriptions made the tale. Now I need to read some of these classics I keep hearing so much about....more

KiwiYou'll have to let me know what this "movie-tie-in" business is all about. I read the original a few years ago, and am curious what the differences miYou'll have to let me know what this "movie-tie-in" business is all about. I read the original a few years ago, and am curious what the differences might be....more
Jul 10, 2012 06:51PM

I am surprised at a number of reader reviews here, but I guess as with everything else, my life motto à chacun à son goût applies. I enjoyed this book -- I went into it with no expectations and wasn't disappointed. I actually liked it.

I found The Woman in Black to be a fine ghostly tale in and of itself, but more than that, I found Arthur to be an excellent story teller. The firslike a 3.8 rounded up.

I am surprised at a number of reader reviews here, but I guess as with everything else, my life motto à chacun à son goût applies. I enjoyed this book -- I went into it with no expectations and wasn't disappointed. I actually liked it.

I found The Woman in Black to be a fine ghostly tale in and of itself, but more than that, I found Arthur to be an excellent story teller. The first chapter contains a number of elements that prepare the reader for what's to come, and as the story progresses, we take this journey with Arthur step by step, unaware of what lies ahead, so that his discoveries become ours and his growing sense of uneasiness and dread are planted in our brains and under our skins. There's a lot more to this book than just a ghost story -- for example, the ongoing theme of isolation, not just in terms of landscape, but also in terms of experiences that ultimately isolate a person from others. There is also revenge and loss here, as well as the search for a rational answer to something that seems wholly implausible, among other things. And then there's Arthur's own transformation, which for me lies at the heart of this entire book -- tied to the idea of questioning one's sense of what's real and what isn't.

I really had a great time with this book. It was all things a good ghost story should be, with bonuses. This is, however, not a fast-paced book, but one to be savored slowly. Readers who are looking for thrill after thrill may be a bit disappointed, or readers who are solely driven by plot action might find this one a bit tame or even, as some have noted, flat out boring. Another thing: if you're expecting a work along the lines of classic ghost-story writers, you're bound to be disappointed. My advice - sit back, relax and enjoy it for what it is.

I originally watched the movie, starring Daniel Radcliffe, having not known it was a book. I really liked it and at the end credits it said it was based on a book by Susan Hill. I decided that it would be a good idea to read, especially since the book is usually better than the movie. I was originally going to borrow it from my local library but saw it for a low price at Big W. So I bought it. It was a really, really good book.

Chapter 1The book is written in first person by the main character ArI originally watched the movie, starring Daniel Radcliffe, having not known it was a book. I really liked it and at the end credits it said it was based on a book by Susan Hill. I decided that it would be a good idea to read, especially since the book is usually better than the movie. I was originally going to borrow it from my local library but saw it for a low price at Big W. So I bought it. It was a really, really good book.

Chapter 1The book is written in first person by the main character Arthur Kipps. It starts off with Arthur telling the reader that it has been years since he was at that small country town and of the horrifying events that unfolding within. He is now living with his wife, Esme, and her four children of another marriage. They are all telling ghost stories the night before christmas. The last person to tell a story is Arthur but says no- 'He has no story to tell'. But this is a lie as he tells us later.

Chapter 2 till the EndAt the start of chapter 2 Arthur begins his story. He is sent by his boss to a small town called Crythin Gifford. He is their as the representative of a solicitors firm. He is told to attend the funeral of a Mrs Drablow and then leave for her house at Eel Marsh House to collect some documents and make sure everything is fine for them to sell and give out to family. At the funeral Arthur catches a glimpse of a wasted woman, dressed completely in black. This is when terrifying and horrible things start happening.

ThoughtsThis was a very interesting book. A short story that only took me less than a day to read. It lived up to my expectations and I found that it was in fact better than the movie. It was a scary but fun, quick read that I'm sure I'll read again. I loved the way it was written and with the first person perspective I always felt like I was there. It was chilling, compelling and a brilliant read.Although there was 1 problem----- it seemed as though the writer had swallowed a dictionary as there were a lot of big words that I had to look up.But once I looked the words up I was fine.

Book to MovieThe book was better than the movie- thats a definite. However the version that Daniel Radcliffe is in, was a pretty good interprtation of the book. There were a few changes:1. The Ending (which I won't talk about for those who haven't read or seen it).2. How his wife and child die.3. In the book the author doesn't go into detail of how the children of the country town die but in the movie they show how each child dies.

Also with the movie I came to find that the woman in black was not as scary as she 'seemed', she just kept screaming and screaming and that just kept making me more and more annoyed until at one stage I almost yelled out 'Oh my god will you stop screaming and take a breath'....more

3.5 Stars Apparently I'd had this book on my radar (AKA: Goodreads To-Read list) for a long time, but forgot all about it - until the movie starring Harry Potter Daniel Radcliff was being advertised all over the place. I then thought, "Oooooh creepy shiny!" and tried to add it, only to realize I had already done been added it.

And now that I've done been readed it (err, I'll stop with that now), I'm thinking that it excelled in some ways, but left me disappointed in others.

And I'm wondering whe3.5 Stars Apparently I'd had this book on my radar (AKA: Goodreads To-Read list) for a long time, but forgot all about it - until the movie starring Harry Potter Daniel Radcliff was being advertised all over the place. I then thought, "Oooooh creepy shiny!" and tried to add it, only to realize I had already done been added it.

And now that I've done been readed it (err, I'll stop with that now), I'm thinking that it excelled in some ways, but left me disappointed in others.

And I'm wondering whether the book might be outshone by the movie. I'll find out soon, as I'm queuing it up to watch it right now. Jebus bless teh interwebz. :D

I'll stop that now, too.

Anyway, so, this book. Reviewing in 3...2...1:

Atmosphere: 5/5I found myself really loving the writing and style of this book, and it felt classically gothic. Creepy, secluded house, in the middle of a small village, Crythin Gifford, where all the villagers seem to share a secret? Good stuff. The Eel Marsh House itself is accessed by the Nine Lives Causeway, which itself is only accessible twice daily during low tide, and when the frets (fogs) allow... AWESOME. Then throw in a mysterious woman in black, and you got yourself some seriously good setting stuff there.

Characters: 3/5I have to say that the characters here were a little cardboard for my liking. I wanted to like Arthur more than I did like him, though I WAS pleasantly surprised that he seemed to accept things being... unexplainable... as quickly as he did. Usually, the steadfast lead adamantly refuses to believe or even entertain the thought of the situation not being of mundane cause - but Arthur surprised me, and I liked that. Of course then he was sadly obtuse when it came to piecing together other things, so it all comes out in the wash.

The villagers were the usual reticent bunch who would throw out meaningful glances and unhelpful but mysterious comments and shut down conversations to keep their secrets. But still, they weren't JUST that. They had other things going on, and they didn't just try to run off strangers at the first sign that they had their eyes open and might actually see something.

Story/Mystery: 3/5As mentioned before, Arthur took a bit long to come to some conclusions that I'd reached pretty early on. There was a twist at the end, the kind that isn't very surprising, but that kind of makes sense on looking back. The initial chapters of the book felt a little long and unnecessary to me, and at the 1/3 mark the real story had barely even started. This is a short book, with a lot packed in, but the initial part just didn't seem to fit to me.

Overall though, I still liked this well enough, and would recommend it.

This is a ghost story in the very classic style. This isn't Stephen King style, more Edgar Allen Poe or a Victorian tale. The writing style adds to the story, pulling you back into a different time. I liked the beginning which frames the story and sets the mood for the tale. A story so frightening that the teller, Arthur Kipps, cannot even share it with his family.The story is very descriptive and atmospheric. You can feel the mist, the chill, see the views out across the marsh and the land. TheThis is a ghost story in the very classic style. This isn't Stephen King style, more Edgar Allen Poe or a Victorian tale. The writing style adds to the story, pulling you back into a different time. I liked the beginning which frames the story and sets the mood for the tale. A story so frightening that the teller, Arthur Kipps, cannot even share it with his family.The story is very descriptive and atmospheric. You can feel the mist, the chill, see the views out across the marsh and the land. There is one small thing that bothered me. The math is off. The age of Arthur when he bought the house and when the action takes place and what happens after, the times are a bit off by a few years. I know this doesn't have any real bearing on the story, but it did make me stop and go back to the different pages of the book, add up the dates and confirm that it wasn't correct. I don't know why this sticks out to me, but it interrupted the flow of the story. If it had said he was past thirty-five instead of that he was thirty-five then I wouldn't have been bothered.If you enjoy reading the classics, you'll enjoy this one. If you are anticipating a scary story with lots of gore, you likely will want to pass this one by. It's more about unexplained sounds and things that go bump in the night.It does move at a fairly sedate pace with lots of description and it isn't edge of your seat frightening, but the tension does build little by little and the ending is truly horrible.This is an author I'll definitely read again and I'd definitely recommend this as a scary little tale.

On a crisp Christmas eve, the elderly Arthur Kipps rests contentedly in front of a roaring fire, surrounded by his stepchildren and loving wife Esme. All is at peace with Arthur's world; all is as it should be. But when the young men start to tell ghost stories, Arthur's idyllic night is ruined. It is only now, after so many years, that Arthur puts his pen to paper and tells the story that haunts him - the story that keeps him up at night shaking with terOriginally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers

On a crisp Christmas eve, the elderly Arthur Kipps rests contentedly in front of a roaring fire, surrounded by his stepchildren and loving wife Esme. All is at peace with Arthur's world; all is as it should be. But when the young men start to tell ghost stories, Arthur's idyllic night is ruined. It is only now, after so many years, that Arthur puts his pen to paper and tells the story that haunts him - the story that keeps him up at night shaking with terror, the reason for his distress this Christmas night.

Arthur writes of a time, many years earlier when he was a young man, engaged to a lovely young woman, and only starting to make his way in the world as a solicitor. Assigned the task of sorting out the affairs of recently deceased client, the reclusive widow Alice Drablow, Arthur is sent to the small farming town of Crythin Gifford. From the start of his trip, something seems off - every time he attempts to speak with townspeople about the deceased Mrs. Drablow, he is met with deflection, blank faced fear, or completely ignored. Frustrated but eager to do his job, Arthur dismisses the cryptic warnings of the townspeople as superstitious nonsense and makes his way to the desolate and secluded Eel Marsh House. Situated on the marshes at the edge of the town, a place where sea and land are nigh indistinguishable, Eel Marsh House sits quietly, waiting for Arthur. Travel to the house is treacherous and can only be reached by pony and trap on the Nine Lives Causeway - a road that is completely submerged and impossible to traverse once the tide comes in each night. Despite the desolation of the home, despite the words of caution from the town, Arthur takes to the house and decides to stay there - no use making a cab come back and forth for him every day - until he has concluded his business.

That is before he realizes that there is something more to Eel Marsh House and Alice Drablow's legacy; before he hears the dying cries from the marsh, night after night; before he spies the wasted woman, dressed in black, with pure malevolence radiating from every fiber of her being.

The Woman in Black is Arthur's story - the first and only time he is brave enough to tell it. And dear readers, it is perfect. An atmospheric ghost story of the gothic persuasion, The Woman in Black is spine-chilling, traditional horror at its best. I am so very glad I read this book.

A slim volume at under 200 pages, The Woman in Black packs quite the punch and is an exercise in restraint - part of the reason I personally feel that many horror novels fail is because of a desire to pack in as much possible descriptive language as possible, as well as a tendency towards unnecessary (lengthy) explanation. Ms. Hill's novel, however sparse with page count, is dense in the development of its ideas and the execution of atmosphere. And, like the best storytellers, this author knows when her tale is done, and that the most horrific and frightening things are best left stated sparsely (as the end of the novel proves). There are no tawdry descriptions of cobwebbed halls or specters bathed in blood, wailing pathetically as they roam the halls of a haunted manor - rather, Ms. Hill's work relies on the creation of atmosphere, of setting and the unsettling feeling of terror that awakens and quickens in our narrator's heart, slowly, gradually, and subtly.

The success of The Woman in Black hinges entirely on description - but instead of describing the spectacle of ghosts, Susan Hill focuses on description of setting. Eel Marsh House is a place that holds its own with some of the finest iconic places of horror and the macabre; desolate as it is, Eel Marsh House stands with Hill House, the House of Usher, Amityville, and Hell House. I loved the palpable sense of hopelessness and isolation as Arthur recounts the still beauty - and malevolence - of the solid stone manor at the edge of the world. What better place to lay a story of despair and hate, of unfulfilled vengeance and desire for death?

For, even as the adroitly detailed setting is what makes the novel succeed, at its heart, The Woman in Black is a ghost story about a specter with unfinished business, and Arthur, our unfortunate narrator, the man who catches her attention. I don't want to spoil the story, but I will simply say that it works. As straightforward and traditional a tale as this is, it works.

In terms of writing, I would be remiss if I did not mention Ms. Hill's command of language and style, fitting in perfectly with this post-Victorian/early-Edwardian narration. Like Eel Marsh House, caught between land and sea, so too is narrator Arthur Kipps torn between an age of rationality and the Victorian superstitions and ghost stories of the past. This struggle expertly characterizes Arthur and his narrative throughout, and it makes him more than just a talking head for a ghost story by humanizing his flawed, unfortunate character.

Ultimately, The Woman In Black does exactly what it should - it creeps, it unsettles, it horrifies. I loved this smart, gothic horror novel and eagerly await the film in 2012 (even if the film is terrible, you'll have this amazing little book to fall back on). Absolutely recommended - and I am making Ana read it immediately....more

Answer: you don't. Just like there isn't really a lot new to say about interstellar empires or elven warriors or hard-boiled detectives. So, The Woman in Black is a ghost story. It's a ghost story like all those other ghost stories you've heard. Of a less skilled writer, I'd have even said the author was practically doing a paint-by-numbers story.

But Susan Hill is really good. The key to a good ghost story is atmosphere. A little creepiness, a little prickling aHow do you tell a new ghost story?

Answer: you don't. Just like there isn't really a lot new to say about interstellar empires or elven warriors or hard-boiled detectives. So, The Woman in Black is a ghost story. It's a ghost story like all those other ghost stories you've heard. Of a less skilled writer, I'd have even said the author was practically doing a paint-by-numbers story.

But Susan Hill is really good. The key to a good ghost story is atmosphere. A little creepiness, a little prickling at the back of the neck, something that will make you jump when the water pipes make a sound downstairs or something falls over in the kitchen. No one is going to be scared by some "new" interpretation of ghosts, or by making the story extra bloody. Stephen King gets some mileage out of being gross and gory, but when he's at his best, when he's really creeping you out, it's not with the gore and the grue, it's with the creeping dread he's able to infuse his stories with.

Susan Hill gets that. The Woman in Black is your basic ghost story: a London solicitor goes to a creepy old mansion at the ass-end of nowhere to take care of a dead client's effects and paperwork, and discovers that the place is haunted. Which surprises him not at all — he pretty much expected a decrepit old house on the marshes outside a tiny, remote village to be "haunted." And even when he discovers that it's really haunted, he's still not immediately impressed. Scared, sure, he's not so brave or superhuman as to claim that seeing a ghost and being convinced that it really is a ghost doesn't creep him out. That's part of what I liked about this story — the narrator is perfectly straightforward, he's neither an action hero nor an idiot, he's logical but he also doesn't retreat into denial. He asks all the questions and makes all the observations you or I would: "Okay, so it's a ghost. That's pretty creepy. But still, what can a ghost do to you?"

He finds out.

The evocative atmosphere makes the book. When the ghost(s) show up, they don't carry on with supernatural pyrotechnics, they just... ghost around, being ominous and spooky at the worst moments, like ghosts do. Eel Marsh House and Nine Lives Causeway are places made for haunting.

This is the kind of book that would make a fine read-out-loud Hallowe'en tale. Highly recommended for late night reading alone in a dark house!

4.5 stars. Almost 5 stars for the quality of the prose and the atmosphere, but for the basic lack of originality and the rather abrupt (and predictable) ending, I had to dock it a little. Still, this is a quick, short read that knows how to build up to a climax and then when to quit....more

Read this book some time ago but remember it as being, apart from ' The turn of the Screw ' and a few of Dickens' one of the best ghost stories I have ever read. Fabulous. Have also seen the play three times now. Never tire of it which is a bit weird cos one would presume that once the story and its denoument had been encountered a few times the shock factor would evaporate. Not in my case. Read this in the winter, by yourself with a glass of wine, preferably near an open fire....Heaven

Susan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".

She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factorSusan Hill was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1942. Her hometown was later referred to in her novel A Change for the Better (1969) and some short stories especially "Cockles and Mussels".

She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became interested in theatre and literature. Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in car and aircraft factories. Hill states that she attended a girls’ grammar school, Barr's Hill. Her fellow pupils included Jennifer Page, the first Chief Executive of the Millennium Dome. At Barrs Hill she took A levels in English, French, History and Latin, proceeding to an English degree at King's College London. By this time she had already written her first novel, The Enclosure which was published by Hutchinson in her first year at university. The novel was criticised by The Daily Mail for its sexual content, with the suggestion that writing in this style was unsuitable for a "schoolgirl".

Her next novel Gentleman and Ladies was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross and other stories, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974.

In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977 and their second daughter, Clemency, was born in 1985. Hill has recently founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books, which has published one work of fiction per year.

“For I see that then I was still all in a state of innocence, but that innocence, once lost, is lost forever.”
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“A man may be accused of cowardice for fleeing away from all manner of physical dangers but when things supernatural, insubstantial and inexplicable threaten not only his safety and well-being but his sanity, his innermost soul, then retreat is not a sign of weakness but the most prudent course.”
—
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